Northern Panhandle

Both the Northern and Eastern Panhandles are experiencing flooding this week as rain continues to fall on the two regions. Preparations are also being made across the state to respond to possible heavy rainfall from Hurricane Florence at the end of the week.

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear about a growing educational trend to get young students outside more often; how an elementary school in the Eastern Panhandle aims to provide more opportunities to its students with an outdoor classroom. Also, we hear a panel discussion from Wheeling on race and living as a minority in the historically white state of West Virginia.

Tick-borne Lyme disease has spread across West Virginia over the past six years with cases reported in 52 of the state's 55 counties, according to state health officials.

Most cases are reported in the northern and eastern panhandles probably because of their proximity to the high-incidence states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources said.

A research lab in the Northern Panhandle has produced two new companies. One compresses coal into remarkably strong, lightweight, fire-proof foam panels. A second uses the same foam to make molds for airplane and rocket parts.

Two people were transported to hospitals for inhalation injuries, others were treated at the site of a reported chlorine leak in Marshall County. Communities in the area were evacuated. Officials from Axiall Corporation say a rail tanker car loaded with liquid chlorine developed a leak Saturday morning inside the company's facility near Proctor, W.Va.

On this West Virginia Morning, we have an update on the drug test bill for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a report on the University of Charleston's pharmacy school's attempt to raise awareness of prescription medication not being taken as directed, and a potential economic rebirth for West Virginia's northern Panhandle.

Is the Northern Panhandle experiencing an economic rebirth? More than one panhandle resident thinks so, and is working toward the goal of seeing every abandoned factory that lines the Ohio River Valley repurposed.

Two companies are proposing to build a hydroelectric power plant at the Pike Island Locks and Dam along the Ohio River in Wheeling.

American Municipal Power and Free Flow Power Project have submitted competing preliminary permit applications for the project, which must be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The project would generate up to 256,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.